"We swear by Allah, if they would help us and open the border between Egypt and Gaza, the army is ready (to enter the Strip). If they would only open the border, within 20 days we would build three hospitals with hundreds of doctors and help rebuild what the Zionists have destroyed," Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said earlier this week.
However, this militant statement, made during an election campaign event, was met with waves of criticism and mockery in Algeria, labeled as populism. One Algerian commentator said these were "irresponsible statements by the candidate, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which are merely an attempt to stir the emotions of the masses. There will undoubtedly be consequences for relations between Egypt and Algeria, as Cairo is indirectly blamed for obstructing the entry of supplies to the Gaza Strip."
Another commentator sarcastically wondered whether the president was referring to an army of soldiers or a delegation of construction workers. It was also said that "Algerians no longer believe the regime's words. This regime exploits the Palestinian issue while trying to recover its lost legitimacy."
Algeria is currently preparing for presidential elections to be held on September 7. This is the second round in the country following the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019, who passed away two years later. Last week, the campaigns of the candidates officially began, with the main candidate being the incumbent president, Tebboune.
The Constitutional Court approved on July 31 the candidacies of three contenders: Tebboune, who has previously held senior government positions; Youssef Aouchiche from the Socialist Forces Front; and Hassani Cherif Abdel-Ali from the Movement for Peaceful Society, which is associated with Islamist elements in the country.
Any candidate wishing to run is required to gather at least 600 signatures from elected officials in local councils or parliament across 29 out of the 58 provinces in Algeria. Alternatively, candidates can collect 50,000 signatures from eligible voters, provided that 1,200 signatures are obtained from each province. Out of 16 potential candidates, three were ultimately approved - with Tebboune as one of them.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune's term has witnessed a rapprochement with Iran and a certain degree of stabilization following the protests that erupted after the Arab Spring in 2011. Meanwhile, the country has experienced a series of diplomatic failures with neighboring Morocco regarding the Western Sahara issue.
In this regard, a number of European countries, including France and Spain, have endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan under the kingdom's sovereignty. On the other hand, the demand by the Polisario Front for a referendum on the establishment of an independent state has been sidelined. The Algerian regime, the main supporter of the organization, responded by recalling its ambassadors in protest.
